


Years and Years of Loving You

by oceans_and_lovers



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Boys In Love, Charles' date goes wrong but it works out in the end, Erik is Crushing Harder than a 12-year Old Girl, Erik is not a Happy Bunny, First Kiss, Hurt/Comfort, Love Confessions, M/M, Mutual Pining, rated for language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 09:47:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12554716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oceans_and_lovers/pseuds/oceans_and_lovers
Summary: "Erik would have thought that after years of witnessing it, he'd be used to seeing Charles go on dates and fall in love with other people.But it had just become harder and harder."-Erik and Charles love one another but believe it to be unrequited - that is, until Charles get punched on a date and Erik gets a bit emotional...





	Years and Years of Loving You

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Nurse Bucky](https://archiveofourown.org/works/2602283) by [TheMeaningofHaste](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheMeaningofHaste/pseuds/TheMeaningofHaste). 



> This just sort of happened and is totally self-indulgent - but I hope it's not too bad!
> 
> Song:  
> [Dua Lipa - Homesick]

As far as dates went, this had to be one of his worst.

Charles clutched his face, blood warm on his fingertips and skin sore, as he stumbled, dazed and confused, down the road.

Moira had been a nice girl, attractive enough and smart enough to engage Charles throughout the evening and to successfully distract his heart for a few hours, so Charles had been hopeful as she led him down the pavement to her apartment.

 

Hopeful, that is, until they'd been met by her furious older brother who, after taking one look at Charles, grabbed his shirt and swung at him, his fist colliding with Charles' face several times before he could fend him off.

 

Charles blinked back tears as he held his face and looked round the empty street, wishing his phone was still working.

 

He'd never learnt to fight, preferring his mind over his fists when it came to settling arguments, and he already knew what Erik would say -

God, Charles!

You could have been seriously hurt, you fool!

 

He just didn't think he could take it tonight. 

His head was pounding, his face, and his pride, were wounded and his heart was scarred from once again going on a date with someone who he knew he could never love.

 

An hour later, he reached their apartment, knowing Erik would be waiting, jaw set and eyes sharp, just like he always does, no matter how late Charles says he'll be home.

 

He always waits, and Charles didn’t know how much longer his heart could take it.

 

-

 

Sitting on their sofa, Erik squeezed his eyelids shut, two fingers pressing the bridge of his nose to stem the flood of stress and jealousy that were clouding his thoughts. 

Erik would have thought that, after years of witnessing it, he'd be used to seeing Charles go on dates and fall in love with other people, but it had just become harder and harder.

 

Harder and harder to bear.

 

Charles had only become more... perfect to Erik since they’d first met all those years ago in their first year at university.

Luckily for Erik, they'd somehow become friends - and Erik tried not to be bitter that they'd remained ‘only friends’.

 

Charles laughed and smiled when Erik didn't, encouraged Erik to be open to him in the same way he was open to Erik, and was his true, perfect opposite. 

He had his flaws of course, but so did Erik, and they only made Charles more beautiful to him.

 

Erik crushed his palms to his eyes and tried to breathe more steadily.

 

The whiskey hadn’t been a good idea, he realised - he was never normally this emotional.

 

Erik hadn't planned on waiting up for Charles, knowing he would no doubt woo and make love to whichever women he'd gotten a date with, but Erik couldn't help himself.

What if something were to happen and for once, Charles needed him as much as he always needed Charles.

 

Then he heard a key in the door and was on his feet, rushing to the apartment’s hallway and ending up catching a battered and injured Charles as he tripped and fell across the apartment’s threshold.

"Charles, what the fuck, talk to me!"

He kicked the door shut, took on Charles’ body weight and carried him to the living room, heart pounding and panic invading his brain as he took in Charles' bleeding cuts and bruises.

"Charles, come on. Please, Charles."

But Charles only groaned as Erik kneeled down and sat him on the sofa.

And Erik surged to his feet again, finding and grabbing their first aid kit before returning to crouch before his friend.

 

"Erik, god, I'm fine."

"Bullshit,"

Erik snapped as he opened a wipe and began to clean Charles' wounds as Charles struggled and Erik, in his frustration and worry, simply pinned Charles' shoulder to the back of the sofa with his free hand, before continuing to inspect Charles' face.

 

And he only sat back on his heels when he was satisfied, and Charles scowled at him, to which Erik glared back,

 

"What the fuck happened Charles? You could have called, I mean, fuck."

Erik pulled a hand through his hair thoughts rushing through his brain - he could have been unable to get home, he could have been seriously hurt...

 

"Erik, I only got punched repeatedly. I -"

"BY WHO?"

 

Erik was standing and towering over Charles now, his clenched fists shaking by his sides.

No one, no one injured his Charles.

 

"Why do you even give a fuck Erik? You weren't there, and I lived, it's done."

 

Spitting out his words, Charles stood up too, his own anger straightening his spine and turning his words to acid, and he pushed Erik's shoulder to move past him, but Erik grabbed his wrist and pulled him closer.

 

"Why do I give a fuck? Someone hurt you Charles! Jesus!"

He was shouting now, and Charles tried to yank away his arm, his eyes sparking,

 

"Well, you weren't there. And anyway, what would you have done Erik? Protected me like a fucking damsel in distress?"

"You're blaming me? You were on a date! With some... some teenager!"

 

"God, Erik,"

Charles eyes were watering, and Erik couldn't tell if it was from anger or distress, yet Charles raised his chin in defiance.

"Moira is lovely woman our age, I'll have you know, so don't talk crap. And also, why do you care so much about who I date Erik, it’s never bothered you so much before!"

 

"Because, you idiot, I’ve loved you for years and every time you go out on a date, I sit here and wish the only person you were kissing was me!"

 

The words tumbled out of him and then there was silence in the room as both men stopped breathing and stared at one another - Erik bit his lip as his brain froze and Charles gasped, suddenly finding there not to be enough air in the room.

 

Erik reacted first, stepping backwards as if shocked and mumbling out an apology before fleeing the apartment, just as Charles' heart began beating again and he blinked before chasing after Erik.

 

Erik could hardly think. Could hardly breathe.

Oh, god.

 

Charles would never forgive him, never - Erik would have cried had he not been so numb, running down the apartment blocks’ steps and out onto the empty street, wanting only to run, yet not wanting to leave.

 

And Charles was only a beat behind, running and running to catch up with Erik as he shouted Erik's name and hurtled out of the building, only to see Erik stood frozen on the pavement.

 

Charles’ brain couldn’t make sense of what was happening as he stepped up in front of Erik, but the man looked so broken, so lost, that Charles hugged him tighter than he'd ever done before.

 

And Erik, confused and devastated as he was, wrapped his arms round Charles’ solid body and buried his tear stained face in the shorter man's hair.

 

But Charles soon pulled away and rested their foreheads together, despite the pain in his face, and brushed their noses together softly as they shared their breaths.

 

Looking down into Charles' eyes, Erik felt himself breathe properly for the first time in years as he saw love shining back at him and he brought their lips together for the very first time, out on that empty pavement in the rain at midnight.

 

And it couldn't have been more perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Lots of love to you all!


End file.
